


They Say An End Can Be A Start

by verob2002



Category: American Assassin (2017), Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Major Film Spoilers, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 12:45:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12190248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verob2002/pseuds/verob2002
Summary: Captain Derek Hale leads a mission to rescue and retrieve an unwitting asset to the CIA.





	They Say An End Can Be A Start

**Author's Note:**

> Title based on lyrics from Phoenix song "if I ever feel better" playing when asked for Work Title*, looked up the song lyrics and surprisingly, they worked for the story.
> 
> I hardly ever write stories down though I have four or five stories circling around in my brain so I'm pretty happy to have one make to posting stage. 
> 
> Work is completely unbetaed. Proceed at own risk.

“Do you have eyes on Rapp?”

“Affirmative.”

“Alright, you have a go on our signal, Captain.”

Captain Hale signaled his team into position as Mansour continued to question Rapp. 

Hale had been given a bare bones bio of the kid. A vigilante with a mission… to destroy those who had killed his fiancé. They had been shown the video of his fiancé’s execution. 

It had been brutal to watch even with Hale’s combat experience. His heart had gone out to this kid who had just proposed to the love of his life only to watch her die mere moments laters.

To see a rap sheet of his activities within the 18 months since her death was confounding to say the least. 

Self-taught in Arabic in three different dialects, intense study of Middle Eastern history, lore and theology; extensive weapons and close combat fighting styles… as a civilian.

Rapp had made contact with Mansour’s cell. Which really….how? Had convinced Mansour he was some zealot convert despite the protestations of his men. 

Hale’s team had been in the region for six months running missions for the CIA. They had seen the devastation Mansour’s cell had wrought, but also knew, that very little was known of their location, numbers and targets.

To have this kid lead them straight to it was...just...what?!

“Alpha team, you have a go.”

“Roger.”

Hale gave his sniper the go ahead to dispatch Mansour. He and his team moved quickly and took out the rest. He found Rapp had freed himself and stabbing Mansour with his own weapon. 

Hale struggled to pull Rapp off of him, but Rapp wasn't giving up.

Hale found himself murmuring to the kid, “He’s gone kid. He’s gone. You got him.” Rapp finally allowed himself to be pulled away. His body becoming pliant in Hale’s arms. Hale carried most of Rapp’s weight back to the exit vehicle. He sat across from Hale most likely seeing Mansour's dead body with his stony, amber eyes.

****

In the months since, Hale had found himself thinking of the kid and what the CIA had done with him. Conspiring to join a terrorist cell, even if it was to dispatch them was a big no no. 

Hale was still working missions for the CIA when he got the call that an active nuke was in play. A small contingent of his team were in Rome on leave when they got the call to investigate an explosion near an Italian ghetto. They found Senior Intelligence Operative Stan Hurley limping out and telling them “to get the hell back in the chopper and get me contact with AD Kennedy.”

They were now flying towards a live nuclear device…. What had his life become? A Tom Clancy novel?

Hale overheard Hurley relating what he knew to Kennedy. The mercenary known as Ghost had doubled crossed Iranian officials intent on starting a nuclear war with Israel. Ghost had a vendetta against the U.S. Military, specifically the U.S. Navy, and was about to take out the U.S. 6th Fleet as revenge.

A man ran out of the cargo hold of the boat holding a large, black bag.

“Get me on the marine bandwidth of that boat.” Hurley demanded.

The man steered the boat away from the fleet. 

“Rapp!”

That caught Hale’s attention.

“You got the dump the bomb overboard.”

“No, I got to get it out to sea as far as possible!”

“Will you listen to me for just once and dump the damn bomb overboard.”

After a moment's hesitation, Rapp grabbed the bag and dumped it into the sea.

Hurley signaled the pilot to pick Rapp up, and there was a visible moment of “Are you kidding me?!” on the pilots face before he complied. 

Rapp wrapped the cord around his body and was immediately lifted and brought aboard.

Everyone was visibly relieved when Hurley gave the order to “get the hell out of here.”

Aftermath of the bomb’s explosion was just batshit crazy. The helicopter came mere feet from crashing into the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

Leahy was getting his fucking body weight in a shit-ton of free drinks from his team for his fucking spectacular flying today. 

“You shouldn't have come for me.” Rapp said disapprovingly.

“Yeah, well, don't get used to it,” Rapp nodded with a small grin on his face. 

Hurley passed the headset to Rapp.

Hale heard her tinny voice say, “you saved a lot of good people today.”

Rapp replied solemnly, “Yeah… but we lost a few good people too.”

****

Hale’s mind was still wrapping around the idea that he'd been involved in thwarting a nuclear attack on the U.S. 6th Fleet as he and his team disembarked the helicopter when a hand tapped him on the shoulder. 

Rapp was looking at him thoughtfully. 

“Hey. You were there that day, right? That day with Mansour.”

Hale was surprised Rapp remembered him or anyone that day other than Mansour.”

Hale just nodded.

“Thanks man. Um, not just for the rescue. For the other stuff you did.” There was a long pause, but it didn't seem like Rapp was finished so Hale just stood there and waited patiently. 

“It was hard seeing him die just, just like that and not killing him myself. I was trying to take it out on you, but you just… you were just there for me. So I just wanted to thank you.”

“I knew why you were there. I understood what it meant to you.”

Rapp let out frustrated sigh and whispered, “Jesus, does everybody know!” He ran his hand through his hair and the back of his neck.

“No. Not that I know, but my team was briefed before going in. It doesn't change what happened, but what you did today… you saved a lot people today.”

Rapp looked like he wanted to disagree, but just nodded.

“What are you going to do now?”

“Someone involved in all of this got away…”

The “not for long” was left unsaid.

Hale nodded. “My team’s dispatched on CIA intelligence based missions and works closely with their operatives. Maybe we'll meet again. Or if you ever want, we could get a drink together.”

Even to Hale’s ears, he wasn't sure if that sounded like a friendly invitation to hang out or like he was asking him out on a date. Hale decided to just leave it ambiguous.

Rapp looked just as confused, but nodded. 

Hale nodded, “It was good seeing you again.” Hale put his hand out for Rapp to shake, “I'm Captain Derek Hale by the way.”

Rapp just nodded again, “Mitch Rapp.” Rapp looked at him thoughtfully, and added, “but when I was kid, people used to call me Stiles.”

Derek grinned mirthfully, “Stiles?”

Mitch smiled back bashfully, “Yeah, it was a nickname I took on because of my mom’s family name, Stilinski.” 

“Well, Stiles…” Mitch gave him a face, “Mitch, I hope to see you again. And stay safe out there.” There was a short pause, “ It’s not the same for you out there. If something happens to me, I have my team. If something happens to you…” 

Derek didn't have to heart to say, “you're by yourself.”

Mitch understood. “I'll do my best, and if I can, I'll look you up for that drink.”

“Hey! Rapp! Come on, we got to debrief Kennedy.”

Rapp turned around, “Yeah, be right there.”

Rapp turned back to Derek, “See you Derek.”

Hale replied, “Yeah, see you Mitch.”

Rapp turned to leave with Hurley grabbing his shoulder. At first it looked like a friendly hug, but then leaned his weight on Rapp due to a leg injury and limped the rest of the way off the airfield with Rapp holding him up.

Hale laughed briefly. If his last two encounters with Mitch Rapp were anything to go by, every encounter with the man was going to be memorable. He just hoped the next time didn't involve a live nuclear device.


End file.
